5 things to watch as the Maryland men's basketball team begins preseason practice

Daniel Kucin Jr. / BALTIMORE SUN

As much as everyone figured that Diamond Stone would be penciled in as the starter at center after signing with the Terps last spring, the 6-10, 250-pound center from Milwaukee found competition this summer from the incumbent, Damonte Dodd.

Stone is way ahead of Dodd offensively, with the ability to create both inside and on the perimeter. Still, Mark Turgeon needs a rim protector and at this stage, Dodd is his best option there. Dodd has also improved offensively while Stone is trying to figure out Maryland’s ball screen defense.

Both Stone and Dodd – as well as sophomore Michal Cekovsky – will take turns at center. Coming off the bench might actually take some pressure off Stone. Having options is a necessity since Dodd, despite his improvement last season, often took himself out of games by picking up early fouls.

As much as everyone figured that Diamond Stone would be penciled in as the starter at center after signing with the Terps last spring, the 6-10, 250-pound center from Milwaukee found competition this summer from the incumbent, Damonte Dodd.

Stone is way ahead of Dodd offensively, with the ability to create both inside and on the perimeter. Still, Mark Turgeon needs a rim protector and at this stage, Dodd is his best option there. Dodd has also improved offensively while Stone is trying to figure out Maryland’s ball screen defense.

Both Stone and Dodd – as well as sophomore Michal Cekovsky – will take turns at center. Coming off the bench might actually take some pressure off Stone. Having options is a necessity since Dodd, despite his improvement last season, often took himself out of games by picking up early fouls.

While Robert Carter Jr. has spent the past year acclimating himself both to College Park and his new team after transferring from Georgia Tech, Sulaimon has been on the same type of whirlwind that Dez Wells found himself in three years ago since he got on campus in late August.

If Carter has been out of the spotlight the past year, Rasheed Sulaimon gained unwanted attention as the first player ever kicked off the team at Duke by Mike Krzyzewski. Both join the Terps with something to prove: Carter wants to show his versatility, Sulaimon wants to demonstrate that he is a team player.

Both should join Melo Trimble and Jake Layman in the starting lineup – with either Dodd or Stone at center. Carter is expected to give Maryland a player capable of averaging close to a double-double, while Sulaimon has already shown in pickup games that he will be the team’s defensive stopper on the perimeter.

While Robert Carter Jr. has spent the past year acclimating himself both to College Park and his new team after transferring from Georgia Tech, Sulaimon has been on the same type of whirlwind that Dez Wells found himself in three years ago since he got on campus in late August.

If Carter has been out of the spotlight the past year, Rasheed Sulaimon gained unwanted attention as the first player ever kicked off the team at Duke by Mike Krzyzewski. Both join the Terps with something to prove: Carter wants to show his versatility, Sulaimon wants to demonstrate that he is a team player.

Both should join Melo Trimble and Jake Layman in the starting lineup – with either Dodd or Stone at center. Carter is expected to give Maryland a player capable of averaging close to a double-double, while Sulaimon has already shown in pickup games that he will be the team’s defensive stopper on the perimeter.

With the Maryland men’s basketball team set to start practice Tuesday for one of the most anticipated – and probably the most hyped – seasons in memory, there are still questions about a team that will look and play radically different than it did during any of Mark Turgeon’s first four years.

The arrival of already celebrated freshman Diamond Stone, the addition of veteran ACC transfers Robert Carter Jr. and Rasheed Sulaimon as well as the return of first-team Big Ten guard Melo Trimble and third-team Big Ten forward Jake Layman have made the Terps one of the favorites to win a national championship.

In the weeks between the first practice and the first game – Nov. 13 against Mount St. Mary’s – Turgeon will have to figure out at least one spot in his starting lineup as well as how deep he wants to go in his regular rotation with a team that figures to have 10 players fighting for playing time.

Click on the captions above to see some key issues for the Terps as they head to the court at Xfinity Center for their first official preseason practice.